Understanding The Bible

by Harris, Stephen L.

• ISBN13: 9780767405935
• ISBN10: 0767405935
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-07-01
• Publisher: Mayfield Pub Co

Table of Contents

Preface	iii
List of Boxes, Tables, and Illustrations	xii
Questions Readers Ask About the Bible A Survey of Biblical Topics and Themes	1	(50)
The Biblical God and the Covenant People	1	(24)
Bible Writers, Manuscripts, and Translations	25	(9)
The Canon of the Hebrew Bible	34	(7)
The New Testament Canon	41	(4)
Ways of Studying the Bible	45	(6)
PART ONE THE HEBREW BIBLE: Tanak, or Old Testament	51	(483)
History and Geography of the Near East	53	(29)
The Ancient Near East	53	(23)
The Promised Land	76	(4)
Approaching the Bible	80	(2)
The Torah (Divine Instruction)	82	(62)
A Summary of the Torah Story	82	(2)
Mosaic Authorship of the Torah	84	(1)
The Documentary Hypothesis	85	(4)
Some Scholarly Modifications of the Documentary Hypothesis	89	(3)
Major Themes in the Pentateuch	92	(2)
Some Literary Forms in the Pentateuch	94	(3)
Genesis	97	(19)
Exodus	116	(14)
Leviticus	130	(3)
Numbers	133	(4)
Deuteronomy	137	(7)
The Prophets (Nevi'im) I The Deuteronomistic History	144	(45)
The Deuteronomists' Theory of History	144	(2)
Major Events and Their Meaning	146	(1)
Observing the Order of the Hebrew Bible	147	(1)
Joshua	148	(7)
Judges	155	(6)
1 Samuel	161	(4)
2 Samuel	165	(6)
1 Kings	171	(4)
2 Kings	175	(14)
The Prophets (Nevi'im) II Collections Attributed to Individual Prophets	189	(41)
Spokesmen for God	189	(5)
The Three Great Crises	194	(1)
Order of the Prophets' Appearances	195	(2)
Amos	197	(3)
Hosea	200	(1)
Isaiah	201	(4)
Micah	205	(1)
Zephaniah	206	(1)
Nahum	207	(1)
Habakkuk	208	(1)
Jeremiah	209	(5)
Obadiah	214	(1)
Ezekiel	214	(4)
``Second Isaiah''	218	(3)
Haggai	221	(1)
Zechariah	222	(2)
``Third Isaiah''	224	(1)
Joel	224	(2)
Malachi	226	(1)
Jonah	227	(3)
The Writings (Kethuvim) Books of Poetry, Wisdom, Short Fiction, and Sacred History	230	(44)
After the Exile: A Reinterpretation of Judah's Religious Mission	230	(2)
Hebrew Poetry	232	(3)
Psalms	235	(6)
Wisdom Literature	241	(2)
Proverbs	243	(2)
Job	245	(7)
Ecclesiastes	252	(4)
Festival Scrolls	256	(1)
Ruth	257	(2)
Song of Songs	259	(2)
Lamentations	261	(1)
Esther	262	(2)
Reinterpreting Israel's History for the Postexilic World	264	(2)
1 Chronicles	266	(1)
2 Chronicles	267	(1)
Ezra	268	(3)
Nehemiah	271	(3)
Deuterocanonical, Apocalyptic, and Extracanonical Works	274	(42)
The Covenant People in the Hellenistic World	274	(5)
1 Maccabees	279	(4)
2 Maccabees	283	(2)
Apocalyptic Literature and the Book of Daniel	285	(4)
Daniel	289	(4)
Additions to Daniel	293	(2)
Other Apocalyptic Works	295	(1)
2 Esdras (4 Ezra)	295	(3)
Pseudepigrapha	298	(1)
1 Enoch (Ethiopic Book of Enoch)	298	(1)
2 Enoch (Slavonic Book of Enoch)	299	(1)
Sibylline Oracles	300	(2)
Other Deuterocanonical Writings (Books of the Apocrypha)	302	(1)
Tobit	302	(1)
Judith	303	(1)
Additions to Esther	304	(1)
Baruch	305	(1)
Ecclesiasticus	306	(2)
The Wisdom of Solomon (Wisdom)	308	(2)
Other Works of the Pseudepigrapha	310	(1)
Letter of Aristeas	311	(1)
Book of Jubilees	311	(2)
Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs	313	(1)
Books of Adam and Eve	314	(2)
Between the Two Testaments Hellenistic Culture and the Growth of Multiple Judaisms	316	(35)
Political Events	316	(6)
Hellenistic Thoughts, Culture, and Religion	322	(4)
Greco-Roman Religion	326	(5)
The Mystery Religions	331	(4)
The Diverse World of First-Century Judaisms	335	(8)
The Messiah: First-Century Expectations	343	(8)
PART TWO THE NEW TESTAMENT: The Christian-Greek Scriptures 349
The Books of the New Testament The Gospels	351	(96)
Literary Categories in the New Testament	351	(4)
The Synoptic Gospels	355	(6)
Four Distinctive Portraits of Jesus	361	(3)
Mark's Gospel	364	(17)
Matthew's Gospel	381	(17)
Luke's Gospel	398	(15)
John's Gospel	413	(16)
The Continuing Quest for the Historical Jesus	429	(18)
A Christian History and the Pauline Letters	447	(53)
The Book of Acts	447	(12)
Paul and the Gentile Mission	459	(11)
1 Thessalonians	470	(2)
1 Corinthians	472	(3)
2 Corinthians	475	(3)
Galatians	478	(3)
Romans	481	(4)
Philippins	485	(3)
Philemon	488	(2)
The Disputed Pauline Letters	490	(1)
2 Thessalonians	490	(1)
Colossians	491	(2)
Ephesians	493	(2)
The Pastoral Letters	495	(1)
1 Timothy	496	(1)
2 Timothy	497	(1)
Titus	498	(2)
General Epistles and a Vision of End Time	500	(23)
Hebrews and the Catholic (``General'') Epistles	500	(1)
Hebrews	501	(3)
James	504	(2)
1 Peter	506	(2)
Jude	508	(1)
2 Peter	508	(2)
1 John	510	(1)
2 John	511	(1)
3 John	511	(1)
A Vision of End Time	512	(1)
Revelation	512	(11)
Beyond the Canon The Judeo-Christian Bible and Subsequent History	523	(11)
Noncanonical Christian Writings	523	(5)
The Evolution of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian-Greek Scriptures	528	(6)
Glossary of Major Biblical Characters, Terms, and Concepts	534	(60)
Selected Bibliography	594	(6)
Credits	600	(1)
Index	601